Patents Examined by Matthew Song
  • Patent number: 9080253
    Abstract: In a method for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer by which an epitaxial layer is formed on a surface of a silicon wafer arranged in a reactor by distributing a raw material gas in the reactor, a temperature of a susceptor at the time of carrying the silicon wafer into the reactor is adjusted in accordance with a resistivity of the silicon wafer. There is provided the method for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer, the method enabling reduction in generation of particles from friction of a back surface edge portion and the susceptor due to warpage of the wafer caused at the time of carriage into the reactor and occurrence of scratches on the silicon wafer back surface edge portion without requiring a complicated apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoyuki Wada
  • Patent number: 9080251
    Abstract: A velocity of Ar gas flow passing through between a lower end of a cylindrical body and a thermal shielding body is influenced by arrangement of a pulling path of single crystal silicon, a cylindrical body, and a thermal shielding body. Accordingly, the velocity of the Ar gas flow passing through between a lower end of the cylindrical body and the thermal shielding body is controlled by adjusting a relative position of the pulling path of the single crystal silicon, the cylindrical body, and the thermal shielding body. As described above, dust falling off to silicon melt can be reduced, thereby preventing deterioration in quality of the single crystal silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SUMCO TECHXIV CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makato Kamogawa, Koichi Shimomura, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Daisuke Ebi
  • Patent number: 9074297
    Abstract: A semiconductor compound material, preferably a III-N-bulk crystal or a III-N-layer, is manufactured in a reactor by means of hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), wherein in a mixture of carrier gases a flow profile represented by local mass flow rates is formed in the reactor. The mixture can carry one or more reaction gases towards a substrate. Thereby, a concentration of hydrogen important for the reaction and deposition of reaction gases is adjusted at the substrate surface independently from the flow profile simultaneously formed in the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: FREIBERGER COMPOUND MATERIALS GMBH
    Inventors: Gunnar Leibiger, Frank Habel, Stefan Eichler
  • Patent number: 9076653
    Abstract: The present invention is a substrate for growing a single crystal diamond layer including: at least, a base material made of a single crystal diamond, and an iridium film or a rhodium film heteroepitaxially grown on a side of the base material where the single crystal diamond layer is to be grown; wherein a peripheral end portion of a surface of the base material on the side where the single crystal diamond layer is to be grown is chamfered with a curvature radius (r), the curvature radius satisfying (r)?50 ?m. As a result, there is provided a substrate for growing a single crystal diamond layer and a method for producing a single crystal diamond substrate, the substrate and the method in which a single crystal diamond having uniform and high crystallinity can be reproducibly produced at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 9068277
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing good quality single-crystal silicon carbide stably without formation of cracks and the like, which apparatus comprises: at least a crucible for accommodating silicon carbide feedstock powder and seed crystal; heat insulation material installed around the crucible; and a heating device for heating the crucible, wherein the outer profile of the crucible includes at least one region of narrower diameter than a vertically adjacent region, insulation material is also installed in the space left by the diameter difference, and thickness of the insulation material at the narrower diameter region is greater than that of the insulation material at the vertically adjacent region. The apparatus for manufacturing single-crystal silicon carbide enables precise control of the temperature gradient inside the crucible, thereby enabling manufacture of good quality single-crystal silicon carbide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Nakabayashi, Tatsuo Fujimoto, Hiroshi Tsuge, Masakazu Katsuno, Noboru Ohtani
  • Patent number: 9064960
    Abstract: Methods of selectively and epitaxially forming a silicon-containing material on a substrate surface contained within a process chamber are provided. In one or more embodiments, the pressure in the process chamber is reduced during deposition of material on the substrate and increased during etching of material from the substrate. According to an embodiment, process gases are flowed into the chamber through first zone and a second zone to provide a ratio of the amount of gas flowed to the first zone and the amount of gas flowed to the second zone. In one or more embodiments, the first zone is an inner radial zone and the second zone is an outer radial zone, and ratio of inner zone gas flow to outer zone gas flow is less during deposition than during etching. According to one or more embodiments, the selective epitaxial process includes repeating a cycle of a deposition and then an etching process, and an optional purge until the desired thickness of an epitaxial layer is grown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Lam, Yihwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9059220
    Abstract: The present disclosure in an exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus for manufacturing polysilicon. The apparatus for manufacturing polysilicon comprises a base plate; a container body coupled to the base plate; at least one rod; a reaction gas source and a power supply. The at least one rod is configured to have legs respectively connected with three electrodes installed on the base plate and to be disposed in the container body. The reaction gas source is configured to communicate with the container body for supplying a reaction gas into the container body. The power supply is configured to connect with the electrodes for supplying an electric current to energize the rod to generate heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Iljin Plant Service Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ik-jin Kim, Sung-hwan Choi
  • Patent number: 9054249
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for making semiconductor films from a eutectic alloy comprising a metal and a semiconductor. Through heterogeneous nucleation said film is deposited at a deposition temperature on relatively inexpensive buffered substrates, such as glass. Specifically said film is vapor deposited at a fixed temperature in said deposition temperature where said deposition temperature is above a eutectic temperature of said eutectic alloy and below a temperature at which the substrate softens. Such films could have widespread application in photovoltaic and display technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Solar—Tectic LLC
    Inventors: Karin Chaudhari, Ashok Chaudhari, Pia Chaudhari
  • Patent number: 9039835
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing multicrystalline silicon ingots by the induction method comprises an enclosure, which includes means for start-up heating of silicon and a cooled crucible enveloped by an inductor. The crucible has a movable bottom and four walls consisting of sections spaced apart by vertically extending slots, means for moving the movable bottom, and a controlled cooling compartment arranged under the cooled crucible. The inside face of the crucible defines a melting chamber of a rectangular or square cross-section. The walls of the cooled crucible extend outwards at least from the inductor toward the lowest portion of the cooled crucible to thereby expand the melting chamber, and the angle ? of expanding the melting chamber is defined by the equation ?=arctg[2·(k?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SoLin Development B.V.
    Inventors: Sergii Beringov, Volodymyr Onischenko, Anatoly Shkulkov, Yuriy Cherpak, Sergii Pozigun, Stepan Marchenko, Bogdan Chepurnyy
  • Patent number: 9039834
    Abstract: Non-polar (11 20) a-plane gallium nitride (GaN) films with planar surfaces are grown on (1 102) r-plane sapphire substrates by employing a low temperature nucleation layer as a buffer layer prior to a high temperature growth of the non-polar (11 20) a-plane GaN thin films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Michael D. Craven, James Stephen Speck
  • Patent number: 9032906
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an apparatus configured to form a material during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, such as a plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD) process. In one embodiment, a plasma baffle assembly for receiving a process gas within a plasma-enhanced vapor deposition chamber is provided which includes a plasma baffle plate containing an upper surface to receive a process gas and a lower surface to emit the process gas, a plurality of openings configured to flow the process gas from above the upper surface to below the lower surface, wherein each opening is positioned at a predetermined angle of a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the lower surface, and a conical nose cone on the upper surface. In one example, the openings are slots positioned at a predetermined angle to emit the process gas with a circular flow pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Ma, Kavita Shah, Dien-Yeh Wu, Seshadri Ganguli, Christophe Marcadal, Frederick C. Wu, Schubert S. Chu
  • Patent number: 9034102
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a hybrid orientation substrate is described. A silicon substrate with a first orientation having a silicon layer with a second orientation directly thereon is provided, and then a stress layer is formed on the silicon layer. A trench is formed between a first portion and a second portion of the silicon layer through the stress layer and into the substrate. The first portion of the silicon layer is amorphized. A SPE process is performed to recrystallize the amorphized first portion of the silicon layer to be a recrystallized layer with the first orientation. An annealing process is performed at a temperature lower than 1200° C. to convert a surface layer of the second portion of the silicon layer to a strained layer. The trench is filled with an insulating material after the SPE process or the annealing process, and the stress layer is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Yao-Tsung Huang, Chien-Ting Lin, Che-Hua Hsu, Guang-Hwa Ma
  • Patent number: 9034103
    Abstract: In various embodiments, methods of forming single-crystal AlN include providing a substantially undoped polycrystalline AlN ceramic having an oxygen concentration less than approximately 100 ppm, forming a single-crystal bulk AlN crystal by a sublimation-recondensation process at a temperature greater than approximately 2000° C., and cooling the bulk AlN crystal to a first temperature between approximately 1500° C. and approximately 1800° C. at a first rate less than approximately 250° C./hour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: CRYSTAL IS, INC.
    Inventors: Sandra B. Schujman, Shailaja P. Rao, Robert T. Bondokov, Kenneth E. Morgan, Glen A. Slack, Leo J. Schowalter
  • Patent number: 9017479
    Abstract: The apparatus has a crucible for storing a solution; an inner container for storing a crucible; a heating container for storing the inner container, the heating container including heating elements, a container body provided with the heating elements and a lid combined with the container body; and a pressure vessel for storing the heating container and for charging an atmosphere comprising at least nitrogen gas. The lid also has a fitting surface to the container body that is inclined to a horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Osaka University, Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Iwai, Takanao Shimodaira, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura, Shiro Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9011598
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for fabricating a composite substrate including a supporting substrate and a layer of a binary or ternary material having a crystal form that is non-cubic and semi-polar or non-polar. The methods comprise transferring the layer of a binary or ternary material from a donor substrate to a receiving substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Alice Boussagol, Frédéric Dupont, Bruce Faure
  • Patent number: 8999059
    Abstract: A growth apparatus is used having a plurality of crucibles each for containing the solution, a heating element for heating the crucible, and a pressure vessel for containing at least the crucibles and the heating element and for filling an atmosphere comprising at least nitrogen gas. One seed crystal is put in each of the crucibles to grow the nitride single crystal on the seed crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd., Osaka University
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Imai, Makoto Iwai, Takanao Shimodaira, Takatomo Sasaki, Yusuke Mori, Fumio Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8992683
    Abstract: Highly-qualified crystals are grown with good yield under an optimal temperature condition by controlling the axial temperature distribution in the vicinity of the seed crystal locally. In an apparatus for producing crystals to grow crystals wherein a seed crystal 14 is placed in a crucible 11 which is retained in a furnace, raw materials 12 filled in the crucible 11 are heated and liquefied, and a raw material 12 slowly cooled in the crucible 11 from below upward, the apparatus including a temperature controller for controlling temperature to cool or heat the vicinity of the seed crystal 14 locally. The temperature controller controls the temperature by a hollow constructed cap 17 mounted outside the portion of crucible 11 and regulates refrigerant flow running through the hollow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Sasaura, Hiroki Kohda, Kazuo Fujiura
  • Patent number: 8986449
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic device for promoting crystallization of target molecules, such as proteins. The device comprises a solid structure with a top face and an opposite bottom face and with a least one liquid channel. The liquid channel comprises a target molecule solution inlet and at least two precipitant inlets. The target molecule solution inlet is in liquid communication with each of the precipitant inlets through the liquid channel. The liquid channel comprises a branching channel section adjacent to the target molecule solution inlet, crystallization channel sections adjacent to the respective precipitant inlets and flow break channel sections arranged between the branching channel section and each of the crystallization channel sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Microlytic North America Inc.
    Inventor: Morten Sommer
  • Patent number: 8980000
    Abstract: In a rotating disk reactor for growing epitaxial layers on substrate or other CVD reactor system, gas directed toward the substrates at gas inlets at different radial distances from the axis of rotation of the disk has both substantially the same gas flow rate/velocity and substantially the same gas density at each inlet. The gas directed toward portions of the disk remote from the axis may include a higher concentration of a reactant gas than the gas directed toward portions of the disk close to the axis, so that portions of the substrate surfaces at different distances from the axis receive substantially the same amount of reactant gas per unit area, and a combination of carrier gases with different relative molecular weights at different radial distances from the axis of rotation are employed to substantially make equal the gas density in each region of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Bojan Mitrovic, Alex Gurary, William Quinn, Eric A. Armour
  • Patent number: 8980004
    Abstract: A crucible for pulling a silicon single crystal has a double structure comprising a silica crucible and a graphite crucible covering an outside of the silica crucible, wherein the silica crucible is provided at its opening end portion with an inward falling prevention means for imparting a radially outward force to a body portion of the silica crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Super Quartz Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Sato, Masaki Morikawa